New chairman, same battles with city school board

Updated 12:54 pm, Tuesday, April 9, 2013

BRIDGEPORT -- Kenneth Moales Jr. opened his first meeting as city school board chairman Monday night with an apology and a pledge to focus solely on city school children.

The apology came after he told board member Sauda Baraka at the end of the last meeting that she would regret trying to censor him -- just moments after he was elected chairman and in front of his wife and kids.

"I will in no way apologize for what I felt was disrespecting my wife," Moales said. "I will do everything in my power as chair to temper my verbiage and my behavior ... but no way will I let us get to the level of tomfoolery and the back and forth."

At Monday's meeting, Moales wouldn't recognize Baraka or board member Bobby Simmons when they individually tried to address the issue.

"Point of order, Mr. Chair," Baraka said at one point. Moales refused to give her the floor.

When Simmons asked to discuss his report, Moales told him he had to wait until after the meeting.

Baraka later tried to question the board minutes that had the March 25 meeting adjourned.

A vote was called and Baraka's ability to raise the issue was denied on a 5-4 vote. "We're not having a circus," Moales said.

Baraka said the previous meeting wasn't properly adjourned because with eight members present, four remained seated when Moales tried to end the meeting. Baraka had tried to censor Moales at the last meeting for what she called insensitive, disrespectful comments made in the past.

Moales told the board that with the district struggling academically and financially, he would do everything in his power to move the district forward.

Moales also said under advice from the city attorney, an evaluation of Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas would be postponed while there is pending litigation over his legal ability to serve as superintendent.

During his report, Moales also addressed what some see as conflict of interests with him serving as chair. Moales operates three daycare centers and a parochial school, and said he intends to someday open an all-male charter school.

Moales denied there are any conflicts. He said the daycare centers get state money, not city money, and were founded by his father. He made no apologies for his family members working at the facilities.

Moales also announced he would be making adjustments to board committee assignments and creating new committees.

After the meeting, he also said there is no conflict when sending his children to private school.

"I have the financial means to give my children the best. Why would I not give my children the best? ... The best for my sons is at Fairfield Country Day," said Moales, adding that he has 400 children from his church, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in the public school because he doesn't have the means to send them all to private school.

"But I have the aptitude and time to make this district better," he said.